Lack of depth at goalkeeper a concern as USWNT draw with England

The USWNT continued play in the SheBelieves Cup on Saturday afternoon. They came away with another draw, this time a 2-2 decision against England.

Once again, the USWNT were unable to hold onto a lead in the SheBelieves Cup. This time, they actually went down by a goal and were able to claw back. But a major issue keeps resurfacing game after game for the Americans and that is the defense. A big part of that is the play of the goalkeeper and today was another example of that.

Since Hope Solo’s departure from the US squad, much of the starting responsibilities have fallen to Alyssa Naeher. But with the World Cup under 100 days away, there is some questions as to the depth of the goalkeeping for the United States. On Saturday, Naeher had to sit out with a shoulder injury, which according to the Fox broadcast could keep her out for 7-10 days. That means the final game of the SheBelieves Cup will fall into the hands of Adrianna Franch or Ashlyn Harris.

On Saturday, Franch was the one who got the call. The two-time NWSL goalkeeper of the year earned her first cap in the match, but definitely showed some nerves in the game. In the first half, she picked up a ball that was played back to her from her own teammate, resulting in an indirect free kick. On the ensuing free kick, England curled a ball around the wall and into the back of the net.

Then you have Harris, who has just 19 caps to her name. She has two caps in CONCACAF qualifying, two in friendly tournaments, and the rest in regular friendly matchups. While she does have 50 caps in the National Women’s Soccer League, her experience at the highest level is very slim.

As for Naeher, she will most likely be the starter come France in June. But that does not mean she has been in top form lately either. Naeher’s distribution and decision making have been shaky at best in recent months and that is cause for concern. This should improve a little as the NWSL season gets underway, but if it doesn’t, there is really no backup plan for the US.

The US failed to prepare for the departure of Solo and it is glaring now. Solo was so instrumental in the 2015 World Cup title because she was able to go above and beyond the typical saves. Right now, it’s hard to tell if the US really has that ability now. And with the defense being an area of concern, it really does not help to not have a commanding presence in between the pipes. As they close out the tournament against Brazil on Tuesday, one of the two backups will be in net and they will need to use that opportunity to help move the US in the right direction as France quickly approaches.